Healthy Alex Rodriguez thriving in playoffs for NY Yankees while playing without expectations

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerAlex Rodriguez pumps his fist as he tosses his bat following his two-run homer in the ninth inning to tie the game 3-3 against the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS.MINNEAPOLIS — The man who saved Alex Rodriguez’s season leaned on the railing behind home plate and marveled. Little more than seven months ago, Marc Philippon took an arthroscope to Rodriguez’s right hip, hoping to give him at least a chance to play this season.

So, after an exam and a few minutes of observation during batting practice Friday afternoon, Philippon confirmed he had done much more than that. He declared that the “dynamic motion” of Rodriguez’s hip had returned. In essence, the doctor said, A-Rod was fully back.

In a few hours, Rodriguez would prove it.

The slugger uncorked his hips and connected, drilling a game-tying, ninth-inning home run that helped give the Yankees a 2-0 lead over the Twins in the American League Division Series.

The Yankees visit the Twins Sunday night with veteran Andy Pettitte on the mound and with the first of their two chances to close out the Metrodome’s days as a baseball venue. Most importantly, the Yankees have moved to within one victory of returning to an American League Championship Series since the epic collapse against the Red Sox in 2004.

Incidentally, that had been the last time Rodriguez brought any semblance of his game with him into October. Until now.

Through two games, Rodriguez’s emergence is one of the biggest reasons the Yankees enter Game 3 firmly entrenched in the driver’s seat of the series. And by hitting the home run, Rodriguez served notice that his postseason failures may be a thing of the past.

“It’s only been two games,” he said. “I feel comfortable. But I’ve felt comfortable all year.”

Since his return from the surgery, Rodriguez has painted the same narrative about overcoming his hip injury and returning to form. And he did it again after the team’s workout at the Metrodome Saturday, recounting his fear that his season could have been over.

The most important development of the time, Rodriguez said, was the lowering of expectations. Quite simply, Rodriguez decided upon his return that he wouldn’t have any.

The mentality worked so well that Rodriguez — playing without expectations — nevertheless reached the 30 homer, 100 RBI plateau.

He said he hoped to bring the same attitude to the postseason, and so far, it appears nothing has been lost in translation.

Entering the playoffs, Rodriguez’s only RBI in his past 16 postseason games came on a solo home run in 2007. In two games this year, A-Rod has knocked in five. Already, Rodriguez has equaled his most prolific postseason as far as production, matching the five RBI he had against the Red Sox in 2004.

Of course, that series went seven games. Rodriguez has done his damage in just two games.

“That’s great,” Long said of Rodriguez erasing some of the notions of his postseason struggles. “They can talk as much as they want about it because he’s coming through. We’re going to continue to keep him in the right frame of mind.”

Rodriguez said he began gaining momentum with his third plate appearance of this series.

After going 0-for-2 to start Game 1, Rodriguez delivered an RBI single, a hit that may prove to have more value than just that single run. Looking back on it a few days later, Rodriguez pointed out the run-scoring hit as a turning point.

He compared the RBI single to the home run he hit in his first at-bat back after hip surgery.

“It’s like that first swing I had in Baltimore,” Rodriguez said. “That helped me carry on some momentum for the rest of the year. And like that hit the other day, it just naturally helped me carry on and get some momentum and a boost of confidence. The team’s been playing well and that helps too.”

And now, Rodriguez has a moment worthy of a postseason highlight reel, thanks to his homer off Twins closer Joe Nathan in the bottom of the ninth on Friday night. Now, the only question surrounding Rodriguez in the playoffs: How much more is there to come?

“The biggest concern in this room right now is not to dwell on the past,” Long said of Rodriguez. “Let’s start where we’re at right now and build on that. I think he’s done that.”